My Concerns, Conflicts, and Comments

As with my previous blog You Decide, this will be mostly understood by those who attend the same church as I. And for those members, you know that today and tonight wrapped up the Vision Team's presentation and proposals of possible changes for the church.

I must say that the Team has worked hard these past 9 months to prepare for this month of presentations. I recognize the sacrifice each member made in order to fulfill the call of the Vision Team. And for this, I am personally grateful. I know it required alot of emotion, prayer, commitment, discipline and character.

This blog is strictly my Concerns, Conflicts, and Comments along with encouragement. This blog is NO way intended to politicize the proposals. I will not try to convince anyone to vote a certain way. It is up to you as an individual to vote what you feel is God's will...not based on my or any other's opinion.

Now on to the proposals:

1. Change the requirements of membership. A prospect must complete a 12 week class before obtaining membership. These classes will educate prospects on what it truly means to be a church member and Christian...fellowship, worship, discipleship, tithing, spiritual gifts, evangelism, etc. ----I have many concerns and conflicts regarding this proposal. I also believe there are many questions that have gone unanswered. I believe this By-law has the potential of becoming legalistic in order for it to be enforced. Will the prospect have to complete all 12 classes or will there be a percentage that must be completed? Do you deny membership because the prospect failed to complete all 12 or the required percentage? Never mind the legalistic point of view, I believe 12 classes is entirely too many. JB and I have not been able to attend 4 Sunday's in a row, much less try to attend 12. I think 12 classes will be discouraging to prospects in that they may feel it's impossible to commit; therefor, they will either not do it all or fail at meeting all 12. I do think this has the potential of setting prospects up to fail if all 12 classes are required. There are certainly many more questions that I have but not enough time nor space to type all. Plus you as the reader will become bored. I personally not feel this is what is best for my church. My biggest conflict and concern is this... The church can ultimately deny membership because someone doesn't want to or hasn't completed a 12 week class. However, I do agree with the vision and reason for these classes. I do believe that our church needs to implement some type of classes in order to make church members aware of what it means to be a member and a Christian. A member is expected to do more than just sit on pew every Sunday morning and evening and to serve is some capacity either in the church or community. I am very much in agreement that the church members should be expected to serve. However, I don't feel that making this a requirement to become a member is the means to do it.

2. Make Children and Youth Ministry a primary focus of our church. That change would entail the following: a). Renovations of 2nd and 3rd floors to accommodate this change and curriculum. b). Move Adult Small Groups (Sunday Schools) to Sunday evening and Wednesday evenings. I am all for improving our children's ministry. As JB says, we should do what it takes to ensure that our children get the best spiritual ministry offered at our church. I love the curriculum that they have proposed and hope it is voted through. I am not too thrilled about our Sunday School class meeting on Sunday nights. And I am afraid that our age group will suffer due to the volunteers needed for the children's activities and preschool ministry. Sunday school will be changed to the evening allowing us to serve on Sunday morning and yet still maintain a small group fellowship. As you members know, right now there are not enough volunteers because alot of us don't want to give up our small group fellowship. This fellowship is greatly needed for us to grow spiritually and in other Christian relationships. I am concerned that we will also ultimately have to serve again on Sunday nights and Wednesday nights in order to accommodate the children's and preschool ministries offered at that time. Therefore, we are faced with the same situation we are in now, either not enough volunteers or we will not be able to have a small group because we are volunteering in these ministries again at night in order to make them successful. Not only will our regular, committed members suffer from this consequence but if our small groups do not grow or ultimately dissipate, the new members and new Christians will not have a small group to attend for their spiritual growth. However, I am willing to try to make it work for the sake of my children. And pray hard that God changes people's hearts in order for this to work. It will take those without children to volunteer in order for us, young adults to continue with our small group.

3. Create a Vision Implementation team and Community Impact Team. Hooray for this! I don't have many concerns or conflicts with this proposal. I think both are very much needed and I hope to be apart in some capacity. However, I do have a concern that with all the service projects that will come from these teams, the members may become "stretched too thin". In that, if the majority of the young adults are already serving in the children's and preschool ministries, it will not leave alot of time for us to serve elsewhere. Now I know, that just because someone has children does not automatically qualify them to work with children. I don't want someone who is not gifted to work with children have to work in the children's ministry. You are not doing a good service to God, the children or yourself. So maybe these outreach services are for you, especially if you feel that you do not "fit" in a ministry within the church. I know alot of people who work better with hands (building, painting, roofing, sweeping, yard work, etc) than they work with people directly. However I do feel that if the parents are serving both Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday evening, it does not leave much opportunity for them to serve outside the church.

4. Construct Guest Welcome Center in the foyer of the church. Hooray, again. I believe it is very much needed. My only concern is that we have enough volunteers who really educate themselves on the ministries of the church and can give direction to visitors.

I hope I haven't bored you with useless information. And I pray that you will vote God's will and not your own. If you, the reader, feel that this blog was politicized to "sell" you on an idea, it was NOT my intention. I do not judge those who differ from my opinion or who vote differently. I just ask that you vote prayerfully and not apathetically.